Storyline

The Doctor and Clara find themselves in London with Madam Vastra and the gang. There are clockwork men and the Doctor is still scrambling to find himself. Clara doesn't understand the regeneration process for the Doctor.Written by
JD

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Technical Specs

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The BBC gave this episode a world tour in seven countries over twelve days. See more »

Goofs

In the scene when Clara says she is thirsty, Strax places the bucket of water on the desk in front of Clara, it is there in the following shot, but it disappears into the next shot without Strax or Clara moving it. See more »

Quotes

The Doctor:
Well?
Clara:
Well what?
The Doctor:
He asked you a question. Will you help me?
Clara:
You shouldn't have been listening.
The Doctor:
I wasn't. I didn't need to. That was me talking. You can't see me, can you? You look at me, and you can't see me. Have you any idea what that's like? I'm not on the phone, I'm right here, standing in front of you. Please, just, just see me.
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Alternate Versions

While filmed and broadcast on TV in 1,78:1 aspect ratio, the episode was screened in theaters in 2,35:1 aspect ratio. See more »

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User Reviews

It wasn't perfect, but Deep Breath was a fantastic return for Doctor Who tonight. Following a series that offered more disappointment than wonder, I really feel Doctor Who could be heading in the right direction for the first time since the fifth season's opener back in 2010. Peter Capaldi is nothing short of an absolute triumph. We're still only getting to know his incarnation, but he gave a near faultless performance as a lost Doctor who knows less about himself than he does the people the around him. From his delightful pyjama-wearing horse- riding, to his more sinister moments in the episode's crescendo, he nailed every scene with ease. Matt Smith, for me, won't be an easy act to follow, but Capaldi is certainly on the right tracks.

Also, as surprising as it is satisfying, Clara finally became a character this evening, rather than a mere plot point to allow an episode to cheat its way to a close. She's still considerably weaker than other companions we've been treated to, but this feels like a fresh start for her. Coleman, too, gave a terrific performance. As for the plot? This is where the episode struggled. 75 minutes was far too long anyway (60 would've been perfect), and nothing really happened for the first half an hour. It gave the characters some calm time to talk, but the pacing fell apart early on and struggled to pick itself back up again. That said, the "Deep Breath" sequence was terrifically executed, and the T-Rex was beautifully animated, if fairly irrelevant to the plot.

But when we're being introduced to a new Doctor, plot must come second. Moffat balanced plot and character fairly well throughout the episode, there was just too much filler in a story that didn't need to be as long as it was. The actual standalone plot of the episode wound up as the most uninteresting thing here, but when Capaldi was such a great presence on-screen, that can hardly be criticized. I was hoping for a simpler, yet darker, more assured series of Doctor Who, and if Deep Breath is anything to go by, they may well have done just that.

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